27,353 visitors for IFSEC International

2018 marked an inaugural year of change for UBM’s security event IFSEC International, following an intensive customer-led insight project, which saw demands from the security industry steer the show towards a high level integrated security summit.

In 2018 the show welcomed 27,353 visitors and a 10 per cent increase in visitor density, which it attributes in part to the new project.

Gerry Dunphy, IFSEC International brand director, commented: “It’s a privilege to let to the global security industry guide the direction of the show. Ultimately, it’s created to provide solutions to the world’s most pressing problems – whether that solution is a new piece of technology, an expert answer to an anxiety about security or a tried and tested piece of physical equipment. IFSEC International held every answer under one roof.”

The show’s shift from advertiser to educator included panel debates, training sessions and keynotes, which prompted a new wave of interest from industry leaders. Attendance from a range of senior security professionals was a testament to this, and overall, the event attracted a higher quality of visitor and a far more exclusive array of experts than in previous years.

In today’s landscape, there is no conversation more critical than security. As a platform for this discussion, IFSEC International 2018 launched the brand-new Keynote Arena, which hosted a catalogue of industry-leading speakers including Christian Horner, team principal of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, Frank Gardner, the only British journalist permanently assigned to cover the War on Terror, Michael Chertoff, the former US Secretary of Homeland Security and Silvino Schlickmann, director of Cyber Crime at INTERPOL.

Created in partnership with City Forum and London First, the ‘Securing the Open Society of 2030’ programme also consisted of an unparalleled series of masterclasses and summits which set a new and critical standard for thought-leadership assemblies across the UK security industry.

A vital part of the show’s change was the introduction of ‘Show Me How’ features across the show floor. The customer-insight project unanimously revealed that security professionals want to be shown how to make use of emerging technologies with the terms ‘Show me how to install the latest kit’, ‘Show me how my business can move into new areas’, ‘Show me the capabilities’ commonplace. In addition to impartial Show Me How demonstrations on the show floor, IFSEC introduced Speakers Corner, which gave businesses the chance to pitch their products in 10-minute slots before Q&A sessions.

IFSEC 2019 takes place on 18–20 June 2019 at ExCeL London.

27,353 visitors for IFSEC International was last modified: July 6th, 2018 by Nicola Macdonald